Tuesday, 18 June 2013

Unit 66 - The applications of 3D

The introduction of 3D

 Games

3D gaming had always been something with many obstricles- a fast memory is required for a computer to be able to render out a sequence in realtime and, this alone, created a big problem. Even for the less detailed models with fewer polygons. To combat this issue of having to load in realtime, Monster Maze pre-rendered each turn for the 16 x 16 cell randomly generated maze. All the computer had to do was play a pre recorded 3D animation sequence when the button was pressed, giving the illussion of realtime 3D. The game was released for the Sinclair ZX81 platform in 1981 by Malcolm Evans.

http://listverse.com/2010/05/11/15-firsts-in-video-game-history/
(3D monster maze; 1981 )

By  this time, games were begining to trasnition into 3D rather than 2D. Games were either being soley produced in 3D computerised graphics or old games being transferred or remade using the new technology. Games such as 'super mario 64', and virtua racing are examples of this.


(Virtua Racing)

 As well as this, CDs were becoming more popular against cartridges, which allowed for more space and a more complex rendering system which could be utilized to use 3D cgi.

 3D games were marketed on a vast scale, and allowed the ability to be able to explore freely around the game world in any direction, allowing the player to become immersed in the game world. Games like this began to produce much larger profits and were in a much higher demand.. Because of this, the focus on retro side-scrolling, top-down and rail-style styles started to become diverted, giving entrance to more advanced games and new genres which couldn't of been created previously.


Games like GoldenEye which were considered amazing when they were first released, however appear old and lack the details that are present in today in games today.


In 2000 when games such as Tomb Raider: Chronicles and Zoo Tycoon in 2001, were considered realistic, as surfaces are painted as flat textures onto large polygons. Computers today can now handle much due to large advancements in the technology of PC parts allowing graphics to become more detailed. Hyper realism in games can now be so convincing that they can be mistaken for photographs. New ways to create the light and shadow have been developed.  The 3 point bounce system is a great example of this as previously the 2 point bounce system was used to create lighting and shadows. Because of this we now have games such as Heavy rain and Project Cars


http://ps3media.ign.com/ps3/image/article/101/1014942/heavy-rain-20090818090112093.jpg
(Heavy rain)


https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIi0Su2ZQD9DDVXMy85abexaKcUZhYzsopkepe6ZObhCJcp35xKmmMjeJ4IdkcMjy9GlXSxYOgl_K79tFl9GmhMze2-VEgLxfNqImKEX-6TsA_3RnjFP1FWUEwjhfxLew2Y_EEvsFJudou/s1600/project-cars-new-image-imagem-slightly-mad-studios-wallpaper-TechSempre9.jpg
(Project Cars)

Hyper-realism plays a major part in modern games and is something that some developers strive for. This has generated a new type of video game. Games such as Batman begins and Uncharted 2 are half film, half game. With long cut scenes inbetween game play, it's a cross between the two, and due to advancing technology becoming cheaper, we're seeing this kind of game more and more.

 Film & TV

 Animation is widely used in films. It is sometimes used for a completely 3D movie with no live on-screen actors involved. Sometimes it is overlapped with on-screen actors to make it more realistic or achieve things that would be too difficult, expensive or impractical. It is common an animated character will be made to appear as real as physically possible, and will act alongside the real characters. 

http://sassyraconteur.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/rise-of-the-planet-of-the-apes.jpg
(An example of this kind of thing is in 'Rise of the planet
of the apes')

 Some animations in films are very realistic. Games however are limited in the amount of detail that we can make a character due to the demand for real time rendering. Films are all pre-rendered which allows for them to be much more visually pleasing due to the ability to add more detail..
 Along with charatcer animation, there is also environment animation. This is often used in situations when it would be impractical or too expensive to achieve in reality such as destroying a building or city. An example of this is in the film 'I am legend'
(I am Legend)
 Animation can also be applied to television programmes- they are sometimes used as special effects in programs such as 'Torchwood' and 'Primeval', but animation in series like this is limited due to the high costs involved.
(Primeval)
 Product Design

Designing a product in 3D is often an alternative to creating a physical prototyp or is created in the stages before. Making the product in a virtual environment rather than physically means that the cost on resources is much lower as well as reducing the amount of time required to put the design into production.

 Due to the product being a 3D file format, this will allows other people to easily view, modify and improve upon very easily and very quickly ,rather than making  individual prototypes of each variation. 

Known as industrial design/CAD or Computer aided design. It allows the aesthetics, functionality and general application of a product in design.

 Education


"The Gaia 3D Viewer has been designed with the classroom in mind. Our simple interface requires no training and teachers are able to start teaching lessons in 3D straight away.
We offer a variety of lessons covering all subjects from Biology to History and Geography. Each lesson can be enhanced by the teacher with the capability to quickly and easily embed external assets directly into the lessons provided.
Different Viewer options offer a variety of capabilities allowing maximum flexibility in the classroom. Teachers may use the viewer to individually determine and control the path they wish to travel inside any selected 3D environment.
The Viewer is compatible with a wide range of external assets from PowerPoint presentations, to web links and animation files. Assets can also be embedded directly from sites such as Google Warehouse."

  By making a heart simulation on screen, students would be able to test on the heart, seeing how it would react, as well as being able to explore at a micro level right inside and around the heart, something which normally would be impossible.

 http://www.3dmedicaleducation.co.uk/ and http://www.3d4medical.com/ are both businesses which are specialists in that field. As well as building the 3D models, they also have some of their engineers inside them who can manipulate the way that the model behaves and acts under various scenarios.

 As well as a first person view point where you could explore various areas within the body, there are also fly throughs of the organs, giving a quick and clear overview.


Architecture

3D models are of major use in architecture. These are usually produced within the planning stage when the layout and design is still being decided. Like in the product design, this is very useful for testing out different variations without having to build a house for real and knock it down again unitl it's right! Although the design could be done in 2D, only 3D gives the impression of the environment from different perspectives, as it would be seen.

 Things like these can be built using programs such as lightwave or maya.

 Flythoughs or first person walk thoughs are sometimes rendered out in order to give the user a better idea of how it will feel in real life, when the real things actually get's built.

 Web

 Some great examples of how animation is used on websites includes:
3D technologoy is often used in advertisements for many websites. The 3D aspect of them makes more enticing and interactive.

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